Yikes ... EC watering problems again. Watering holiday cati in general Bi weekly water while it's showing new growth. Reduced amounts and longer timing between watering when in bud.wer Amounts of water can vary depending on where it is ( inside, outside, temps, climate etc.. )EC It's temperamental in so many ways I don't like moving this plant from place to place at all I don't like to suggest moving EC to anyone, hmmm but if not in the right place it doesn't like to flower as good as it can in another area. Wrinkling leaves on an EC. In a way it's your lucky plant usually if over watered EC tend to just drop off (shedding) your right on the wait until it dries out a bit if EC cati gets to dry it also tends to shed it's leaves as well. EC Potting: Different soils for different folks in a sense. Mine, a ceramic pot with a built on exterior watering at bottom. I use a more costume mix of the basic 5-1-1 (RE: in different question). Soil I use small sized orchard bark 5 parts ( Repti bark more pricy but is also good) 1 part turface ( or all sport) 1 part perlite is good, better a more porous more stable pumice 1/2 part shredded leaf debris. Yes in a way the basic 5-1-1 would work rinse and shift or sift then rinse allow to damp dry before re-potting. Like many others I like my jungle cacti roots to have more air. Ohhh I mentioned a bottom water reservoir. For EC. Of all holiday cati I have for EC ONLY I don't habit top watering as it is now the soil mix media allows the reservoir if full of water to be fully absorbed into the pot in an hour or less.

Thanks Nat! Update on my easter cactus: the sides of the 2 main stalks are turing brown on the side. Almost like the skins of the plant has blistered but the skin is thin and dry. I have added links to see the cactus. Please tell me this isn't bad!? I hope my plant will survive. http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l158/Reylyred/ATT00001.jpg http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l158/Reylyred/ATT00004.jpg In the second picture: The small white horizontal line you see at the base of the plant is where my nail went through the dry part of the plant i described earlier. Here is a top shot of the cactus, do the brighter smaller leaves look healthy. They feel flimsy as though they are going to fall off when i touch them. http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l158/Reylyred/ATT00005.jpg any help would be great. Thank you, Ashley P.S. there is very little left of my Sedum left, I think its almost dead. :(

Hi Lara, I just brought in my holiday cactus about 1 1/2 weeks ago. It had been getting into the lower 40's and even down to 38 a couple times. Most of mine had set buds allready so once they came inside the buds really took off growing and some are starting to open and I didn't loose even one bud and I have 60+ pots. I'd leave it inside now since it can drop down over night and you wouldn't know it untill to late. I wouldn't want mine to be out in 20 degree temps. As for the spring cactus I'm still learning what they like, I do know they can be a pain at times. I would not repot at this time of year but other than that I'll leave for someone with more experience growing them. Jo

Seems just as I thought, unhappy roots. Either the mix was not holding water enough, or the water ran right by the root ball, or you under watered. If they responded like that to water, they were not getting enough moisture. Tommy, I do the same thing. Mines grow in just bark, some in bark and pumice for more moisture. They LOVE to be watered freely but not left soppy wet. Use a good porous mix, one with lot's of bark in it... Like many tropical cacti, Christmas Cactus is also an epiphyte which means by nature they grow on trees without soil at all. They almost grow like orchids in my home. Love to be watered frequently and dry down just the same. They hate heavy soil mixes or those that hold water too long, or those that repel water.